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ROME (AP) \u2014 Pope Francis<\/a><\/span><\/span> has added a stop in Luxembourg to a trip to Belgium in September, a three-day visit that will come as he is recovering from a much longer and challenging trip to Asia.<\/a><\/p>\n The Vatican on Monday announced the Sept. 26-29 dates of the planned trip, saying Francis would first stop in Luxembourg and then travel onto Brussels, Leuven and Louvain-la-Neuve in Belgium.<\/p>\n Belgium\u2019s bishops had previously announced that Francis was coming to celebrate the 600th anniversary of the country\u2019s two main Catholic universities<\/a>. Francis\u2019 stop in Luxembourg is apparently something of a nod to Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the Jesuit archbishop of Luxembourg who is playing a major role in Francis\u2019 big synod<\/a>, a years-long reform project for the Catholic Church.<\/p>\n The Luxembourg and Belgium visit is scheduled to begin less than two weeks after Francis returns from the longest and most challenging foreign trip of his pontificate, a Sept. 2-13 voyage to Indonesia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea and Singapore.<\/p>\n The 87-year-old pope, who has been using a wheelchair for about two years, has had several health problems<\/a>, including abdominal surgeries and bouts of bronchitis all winter that made it difficult for him to read aloud his speeches.<\/p>\n He appears to have recovered well with the arrival of spring. He was in robust form this past weekend when he spent the day visiting the northern Italian city of Verona.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n